In Fate's Hands
by mastermayhem
Summary: In the end the Sackville-Bagg family became mortals and everything was happy and fine, right? But what if fate had other plans, that doesn't include mortality for this little family? RudolphxOC. Rated T for, right now, language.
1. Scotland, here we come

A/N: I have been sitting on this story for a while, and I figured it was finally time for me to let it out. Mind you, it's going to seem a bit confusing at first, because this takes place a few years after they became human again, but I promise it will be explained later on.

-x-x-x-

My feet pounded against the cold grass and dirt as I dodged around headstones and small trees.

Who the hell came up with planting trees in a cemetery? It's not like the dead is going to need to get away from the sun for a while.

I tried to peer through the thick fog as I raced through the cemetery, only able to see a few feet in front of me.

Fog in a cemetery; how cliché. Already this was getting a little old.

What the hell was I running from anyways?

I stumbled over an ancient headstone, my coordination failing me in the time that I needed it most.

Before I even had a chance to turn around, I felt a pair of cold hands grab my waist, yanking me upwards. Pain searing through my hips as it jerked upwards, while the rest of my body tried desperately to keep up with it.

"Gotcha." His voice, icy and amused, tickled my ear as his lips brushed over the base of it.

I'll admit, I felt pretty terrified. Hell, who wouldn't be?

I mean, if some mysterious person was chasing you through a horribly cliché night scene, and caught you, wouldn't you be freaked out?

The pain I felt next was beyond anything I had ever experienced.

I could feel sharp fangs sinking into my neck, sucking the liquid life from my veins.

I cried out, throwing my head back and thrashing around. This only seemed to amuse him further, as he chuckled into my throat.

A trickle of blood slid down my neck slowly, taunting me with its reminder that, at any moment, I was going to die.

Feeling my life slowly fading away, I let out one last horrible cry of agony, allowing my voice to pierce the frosty November air.

-x-x-x-

"Yo, Count Freakula, shut the hell up!" An irritated voice shouted as my eyes flew open. It was then that I realized that I was trapped in a tangle of sheets and blankets, and screaming my head off.

One of the twins, Ecko, stood leaning against my doorframe, looking rather pissed.

His brown hair was a mess upon his head, half concealing his infuriated sleepy glare. Gray eyes traveled around my room briefly, across the band posters and bookshelf consisting of almost nothing but vampire books, until they returned to me.

"You realize for the past ten minutes you have been screaming bloody murder. I wouldn't be surprised if you've woken up every person in the United States." He snapped, trying hard to suppress a yawn.

Wyatt, his twin, soon appeared by his side, looking like he had just dragged himself out of bed.

His own brown hair stood up widely as tired blue eyes starred at me in hazy confusion.

"She finally shut up." He mumbled, his eyes drooping as he gave a half-hearted smirk.

"Oh shut up and go back to bed." I growled, throwing one of my pillows at them.

Ecko slammed the door shut before the pillow reached them and stormed back to his room, grumbling angrily.

I sighed, running a hand through wild black curls, thinking back to the dream.

It was the fifth time this week that I've had that dream.

It had to mean something, but I couldn't figure out what. Ecko had suggested that maybe my obsession with vampires was starting to get to me.

Of course, that comment had only earned him one of my nastiest glares, which he had shrugged of easily.

Rolling off the little mattress and onto the soft beige carpet, I glanced around my room.

Everything looked so depressing and dejected, packed up in boxes like this.

We were moving today, and all I had left to pack was my posters and books.

Honestly, I was a bit excited. We were moving to an amazing house in Scotland, and the scenery is supposed to be pretty epic.

-x-x-x-

I starred out the window of the airplane, though we seemed to be surrounded by heavy clouds. It almost seemed…foggy.

Images of my oh so lovely dreamed flashed before me, dancing on the clouds.

Sighing, I sunk further into the chair, wriggling with impatience.

We had always moved around quite a lot, but mom promised that we would be here permanently.

I had seen some pictures of Scotland in my research, and it does look rather amazing.

Yet, what fascinates me most are the tales. Tales of vampires.

"Miss, may I get you anything? A drink, some roasted peanuts, perhaps?" A flight attendant asked, breaking me from my revere.

I sighed, looking up at her as she peered at me, a too fake smile plastered on her face. I felt a shred of sympathy for the women, having to deal with all sorts of people every day.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks." I replied, smiling wearily at her.

Without a word, she straightened up and continued on down the row, repeating the question to just about everyone she came across.

Glancing at the clock on my phone, I smiled to myself.

Just two more excruciating hours. Before I know it, my brothers and I will be fighting over rooms, and my mother will be picking out what room to use as her art studio.

I have to admit, having a carefree, artsy mom can be pretty fucking awesome sometimes.

A/N: I apologize for the basic failure of the post. I've never been very good at starting stories, but there you are. At least with that out of the way, I can start getting to the good part. I'm actually hoping to have a second chapter up by tonight, at least.

And yes, please review. xD I really love it when I get reviews that offer helpful tips, or offer ideas for future chapters. (:


	2. Just hanging with vampy

**A/N: Okay, you have my permission to stone me, run me through the guillotine, whatever. I deserve it. To be honest, life has been hectic. But I have had plenty of free time and Ramen, so there is no excuse for not updating sooner. ;[**

Faster. I need to run faster. But why? What's the point? He'll catch me anyways. He always catches me. He's too fast. Too fast and too strong. Who is he? Why is he chasing me? What does he want?

I awoke from my nightmare with a start, starring wide-eyed through the endless black. With an exasperated sigh, I dropped my face into my hands, frustrated. Ever since our plane had landed in Scotland two weeks ago, I have been having this endless stream of nightmares. Always the same ones over and over. And the fear never stopped. My heart never quit its furious beating, as I would bolt awake in the dead of night.

Throwing my legs over the side of my bed, I reached over to my bedside lamp. Flicking it on, I peered around at the room in the dim lighting. The same eerie shadows reached away from their owners as they tried to frighten me. Not tonight guys.

Heaving myself forward, I silently walked over to the window slash balcony. My legs felt like jelly as I approached the cool glass. How I hated that unsteady feeling I get after waking up. Throwing open the window, I allowed the chilly fall air to engulf my room in its bitter embrace. Before I had the chance to process anything, I was being bombarded with cold wet drops of water. Oh hey Trinity, guess what? It's raining, moron. That's what you're thinking and you know it. Oh well. A little water never killed anyone. Okay, yeah, it has. But its never hurt me so we're cool.

I stepped out of the pathway of the freezing rain, looking around for an old towel so my room wouldn't become flooded. The sound of loud flapping reached my ears as a large, dark figure flew past me to the opposite side of my bed. I stood there, frozen with shock. What the hell was this? Do things just randomly fly in your room when you live in Scotland? Fucking beast, dude. What next? A magical pick-up truck is going to drive me to school tomorrow? Actually, that would be kind of wicked, if I could keep it.

Finished with my mindless babbling, I slowly inched over to my bed. Swiftly, as if the floor was hot lava, I leaped onto the bed. As a child, that had always been my comfort zone. I had this twisted idea that as long as I was on my bed, nothing could hurt me, ever. Shut up, I was eight and stupid.

My heart pounded furiously in my chest as I took my time to peer over the edge of the bed. I was in no rush to see what lay on the other side. Before I got a full view of whatever lay there, a bright flash blinded me. With a slight yelp, I threw myself back onto my pillows, burying my face into one. My eyes ached terribly from starring directly at the bright flash, and I prayed that shielding them with the incredibly soft pillow might help ease the pain a bit. Okay, yeah, I may not be eight and stupid, but I am fifteen and stupid. I get it.

A groan, far too deep to be my own, traveled to greet me on my curled up position on the bed. Lowering the pillow from my cured eyes, I starred at the area that the groan had come from. Oh god, there was someone else in here. Not cool, not cool, _not cool._ My heart pounded violently in my ears, almost deafening me as I leaned over the side of my bed and gaped at the figure below.

Before my very eyes lay a boy of about my age, but dressed in a strange gothic Victorian clothing. Or perhaps it was Elizabethan. I was never very good at the time period for clothing, or much else, to be honest. He lay there, panting for breath and groaning with pain. His eyes fluttered open, revealing shockingly red eyes. I watched the realization of the reality that he was currently facing dawn on his incredibly pale face. His lips, unnaturally blue, parted. They barred in an animalistic way over glimmering, sharp teeth. A hiss snaked across the room; sending cold shivers down my spine.

"What are you starring at, _human?_" The boy demanded, saying 'human' as though it were something delicious and sweet, like candy, yet awful and hated at the same time. My throat felt constricted. I had the horrid sensation that my tongue was swelling up, restricting my ability to speak. My arms trembled under the sudden heavy weight of my upper body. As the boy forced himself off of my floor, with great difficulty, I shrunk to the other side of my bed. This…thing…was obviously something inhuman, if not merely a figment of my imagination. Fear forced me to tremble as I starred, wide-eyed. Immediately, I knew. This was the boy from my dreams. For a split second, I thought he had been the one who had been chasing me. The one I was supposed to be running _from._

However, that wasn't it. He wasn't the one I had always been running from. He was the one that had been pulling me along. I was sure of it. But that was a dream. There was no guaranteeing that he was as kind in the real world as he was in mine. Yet, though I hadn't noticed sooner, I had stopped trembling. There was not the heart-stopping fear coursing through my veins.

"A-are you okay?" I heard myself ask, though I could not recall forcing the words out of my mouth willingly. He looked over his shoulder at me, the rain soaking him as he stood in the window. He seemed surprised by my question, peering curiously, weakly, at me through slightly curly brown bangs.

"What would you care?" He muttered, grimacing as a wave of nausea, or so it appeared, rushed through him. I frowned slightly, confused. What caused him to be so adverse to humans? What was he, in the first place?

I gasped, unable to yell, as he leaped off of the balcony and into the cold, wet night. He seemed to hang suspended in mid-air for a moment before quickly plummeting out of sight. Thanks to a sickening thud, and a loud groan, I knew he hit the ground. Whatever was wrong with him, it was clearly affecting his judgment. Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I quickly made my way over the window, squinting as the cold rain battered me. From my position in front of the window, I could see his dark form sprawled on my lawn. With a deep sigh, knowing I couldn't just leave him out there, I turned around and raced out into the hall. Everyone had fallen asleep, yet I had to be very careful so as not to wake anyone. Silently, I tiptoed down the stairs and out the front door, grabbing my trench coat along the way. I felt like such a ninja. Pulling it on, I raced across the lawn, my feet burning from the cold of the air and rain soaked grass.

I dropped to my knees beside him, wincing as the water quickly soaked through my pajama pants. Running a hand through my hair, I peered at him. He was breathing heavy, almost gasping for air. His eyes were just barley cracked open, and he seemed unable to get up, though he continued to try. His brown hair, thick and slightly wavy, was plastered to his face. As he raised his eyes to meet mine, I could see the surrender, and the pain, in them.

"D-do…. do you know where I can…can get a…a cow?" He gasped, struggling with the words. I could hear how difficult it was for him to talk, and he seemed to be silently pleading for me to help him. However, despite all of this, I had to force myself not to laugh. A cow. He was asking for a cow. I glanced over my shoulder. Though it was near impossible to see, I knew there was a small farm about a mile away. He seemed unable to sit up, much less make the trip.

"Well…there is a farm about a mile that way. I believe they have a few cows." I mused, starring just past him. Again, he struggled to rise, only succeeding in supporting himself on his forearms. A sudden thought struck me, as I starred at the gate leading to our backyard. After demanding him to wait there, I took off for the gate. Grabbing onto the top bar, I launched myself onto the gate, my foot almost slipping out of the small holes in the wet gate. There was a bright red wagon back there that had been left from the last owners. It was faded and rusting, but it was better than nothing. I pulled it over to the gate, having to take the time to open the gate to get through, as it was too bulky for me to lift. He probably wouldn't fit comfortably inside, but it'd give him something to ride on, and I'd pull him to the farm. Pulling the wagon behind me, I jogged back over to his trembling form. He was clearly growing weaker by the moment.

His head rose as I stopped next to him, dropping the handle of the wagon to lend him a hand. He starred blankly at the wagon; I far off look in his gaze. It seemed as though he had zoned out. His red eyes moved to mine, curiosity deep within them. The weight of his stare was heavy, causing me to feel slightly uncomfortable. I glanced away, starring off towards the farm. The rain was letting up, though still continued to fall. We were both soaked through, our hair and clothing nearly glued to our skin. Wordlessly, I helped him into the wagon, as he bent enough to fit without looking completely cramped. He slumped forward, his head resting on his knees as he breathed heavily. After a brief hesitation, I removed my coat and laid it over him. It was waterproof, warm and dry on the inside. He raised his head, gazing weakly at me with a thankful, and bewildered, look. With a faint smile, I picked up the handle of the wagon and tugged it. He was a lot heavier than I had imagined, but I managed to pull him along. His breathes drifted behind me, labored and just a little louder than the rain. I hurried on down the road, feeling the steady change as the rain ceased.

At long last, we arrived in front of the barn. It was dark and deserted, with the exception of a few cows. I pulled the wagon up to the large doors, stopping a few inches from it. With a deal of difficulty, I managed to shove the door open. During that time, I had not seemed to notice mystery boy rise from the wagon, abandoning my coat there, and silently glide over to stand behind me. I had swiveled around to offer a hand when I found him an inch away from me, starring past me with a dazed look. With a surprised yelp, I forced myself back against the barn, flattening myself against it. A smirk tugged at his lips and he walked in, seeming to float over the ground gracefully.

I followed him into the barn, making sure to keep a safe distance as I observed him. I heard a barley audible, "De javu" escape his lips as he starred at the cow, his fingers revolving before its eyes until it seemed to fall into a trance. He stepped around it, just barley out of site. I watched, fascinated, as one hand went up to stroke the top of the cow's neck, and his head lowered. A moment later, a sickeningly indescribable sound filled the air, followed by the cow's low mooing. The scent of blood filled the air, and I quickly backpedaled out of there, not enjoying one bit of it. I may be obsessed with vampires. But I am still a pathetic little human that is overwhelmed by the scent of too much blood.

I stood outside the barn, my back turned to it as I tried desperately to ignore the act I knew was going on. Then a noise struck me. It was something beeping, and mixed with the sound of machinery. Looking to my right, I was barley able to make out a large black van, nearly covered in blindingly bright lights. I had to shield my eyes as one landed on me. Almost as if on cue, the van seemed to speed up, racing towards me.

An arm wrapped around my waist from behind, yanking me into the barn. I was pulled to the side, behind the door, and slammed up against it. I swallowed the pain as vampire boy stood before me, barley centimeters away as he watched the doorway. I could smell the blood on his breath. Yet, he didn't smell like a dead body, like one might think. Well, not completely anyway. He held that musty, old smell, but it was blended with a sort of seductive scent. It smelled so much like Axe. Perhaps it was? I was so tempted to lean forward even more, to take in more of the scent, but now didn't seem to be the time for that.

Judging from what I could hear, the van stopped outside the barn, the lights shutting off as a door opened and slammed shut. Heavy footsteps, accompanied by the sound of chains, marched towards the entrance. Vampy here cursed under his blood-drenched breath, taking my hand.

"Close your eyes." He whispered, leaning forward so that his lips barley brushed my ears as he spoke. I shuddered, but did as commanded. Instantly, I found myself pulled out and up. I heard a loud yell, and the sound of footsteps running beneath us, and any moment I expected to slam into the ground.

Instead, I found myself freezing even more as frigid air engulfed us. I dared to open my eyes, and regretted it immediately.

We had to be right under the clouds, which had stopped unleashing hell on us, because we sure as hell were nowhere near the ground. Trying to squash my, "I'm going to puke" feeling, I looked at the boy next to me, his hand still firmly holding mine. He was starring straight ahead, his brown hair whipped back from his face, a slight smirk on his pale face. You know, despite being a blood sucking vampire and all, he was really rather…adorable, in that handsomely beautiful sort of way. I followed his gaze, peering through the slowly diminishing clouds. Not to far ahead of us was a giant blimp, hovering above a little up castle-like mansion. Well wasn't that just convenient? I suppose when you are in Scotland, everything is right there when you need it.

We landed on the top of the blimp, and I collapsed on its bouncy surface, squeezing my eyes shut as I took deep breathes of cold air. I felt his presence as he moved next to me, and felt his stare on the back of my head.

"Are you alright?" He asked, something on the verge of concern in his voice. I managed a nod, forcing myself up. Okay, Trinity, time to stop being such a little pathetic princess and be strong here. For all you know, he could be ready to chomp into your neck in a moment's notice. Oh yeah, there's some positive thinking for ya.

"Yeah…I'm fine. I guess I'm just not used to…uh…flying, you know?" I stammered, sitting criss-crossed beside him, running a hand through my hair. Not surprisingly, in fell back in my face.

"I'm Trinity, by the way." I figured introductions were in order, though I had no intention on shaking hands. I wanted to be polite, not insanely formal. A gentle smile crossed his pale lips as he glanced at me.

"I'm Rudolph." He stated, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. You have no idea how hard it was to not bust out singing, "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer."

**A/N: I seriously hope that didn't suck. For anyone wondering, yes, a lot of what happens between Trinity and Rudolph also happened to Tony and Rudolph when they were younger. Hence the whole, "De javu" thing. I know it probably seems really confusing now, but I promise, it will all be explained. XD**

**Also, for any Thief Lord, or Rollo Weeks, fan, you can pretty much figure out what he looks like now. For those that only remember Rollo Weeks as little Rudolph, and have no idea what I'm talking about, I have provided a link on my profile to help you understand. Keep in mind, he also looks dead. xD**


	3. There's a monster in my closet

**A/N: Awww, look who's being a good updater. Don't get used to it. I'll probably return to failing you again soon enough. Dx **

**I'm trying to be a good little fanfiction writer and update more, but it's not all that easy for me. I am always at least a little busy during the day, or something will come up. And of course, there is always procrastination. It's my worst enemy, I swear. I may start using Write or Die, just to push me along.**

Rudolph and I sat there for only a few moments, completely engulfed in silence, before I nearly lost my mind.

"So…um…do you normally crash into people's rooms like that?" I asked, attempting to make conversation. Okay, I'm sorry, it's hard to do when you are starring perfection in the face. Forgive me for sounding like a total priss here, but oh my god he was freaking _gorgeous_. He made all those silly little air brushed models look hideous. I just wanted to reach out and stroke that perfect, pale skin. Okay, Trinity, stop being some stupid fan girl and pay attention. He's talking.

"That rarely happens to me, actually. It has happened only once before, many years ago." Rudolph said, looking straight ahead of him with that far off look. Curiosity was practically kicking my ass, but I clamped down on it and attempted a different path.

"Oh." I said softly. Well look at me. Aren't I just Ms. Articulate? It was so hard not to slap myself in front of him. Somehow, I managed.

"I'm sorry I frightened you. Recently, my family and I have been hunted by a vampire hunter, much more skilled than ones we had previously encountered. I was weak and running on instinct." Rudolph apologized, looking at me with an apologetic smile. I starred back, green eyes meeting red. We were still soaked to the bone, his thick dark hair damp and waving around him beautifully. God, was that all I could think about? How beautiful he looked? Okay, sure, he had a voice that nearly melted my heart, but that's beside the point. I could see there was far more to him than meets the eye. The way he spoke to me was gentle and kind. He even seemed a bit timid, unsure of himself.

"It's okay." I replied, shaking away the thoughts. That's when I realized that I was actually physically shaking, and I couldn't halt it. Rudolph seemed to notice this too as his eyes roamed over my trembling figure.

"You must be freezing out here. I'm very sorry. It seems I am causing you all sorts of distress tonight." Rudolph apologized once more, standing up, forcing the wind to catch his long black jacket. The tail of it flew behind him dramatically, as his hair whipped around his head. I half expected him to say something like, "Come with me if you want to live." How cheesy, right?

"Come, I'll take you home." Rudolph said, his smile soft and gentle as he extended one ghostly white hand to me. I starred at it for a moment, before raising my eyes to meet his face. He starred at me so earnestly that I had no doubt I'd be safe with him.

"I won't bite. I promise." Rudolph chuckled, though he looked somewhat unsure and nervous. "I'll never let you go. As long as you are with me, you are safe." He assured me. And just like that, I had placed my hand in his, leaping to my feet. It was only then that I realized just how cold it was up here. His frozen touch didn't help anything. Instead, all it did was give me tiny little butterflies in the pit of my stomach. Okay, honestly, how is that romantic? I'll never understand why so many girls think it is fun to think they have all these little insects fluttering around your organs. I'd want to get that checked out, if I were you.

In almost an instant, we were back up and soaring through the air. A lot of people think it'd be a lot of fun to fly. Yeah, it isn't. Despite rational judgment, I continued to look down. I almost screamed. Not the very definite, "almost." Instead, I attempted to squeeze the crap out of Rudolph's hand. He held my hand tightly, though not to the point that it hurt.

"Don't worry. You get used to flying." Rudolph attempted to reassure me. What? Was I going to become his eternal vampire wife now? I mean, I'm not saying I'd totally disagree, but that's a bit fast, don't you think? I looked at him, locking eyes with Rudolph and feeling almost as though it were impossible to look away.

"Yeah…if you say so." I muttered, trying with all my might not to puke as he ended our intense stare-off. It seemed as though we soared through that frigid night sky forever before my house every came into view. We landed on the balcony very gracefully, him helping me regain my composure like a true gentlemen would. And to think, it seems like only moments ago we were in this very room as he practically insulted me, before leaping out my window. I think I may have received whiplash from that one-eighty.

A familiar noise sounded behind us and we turned to see the same van, lazily strolling down my street as its' lights turned this way and that. We had only enough time to spot it before one of its' many lights fell upon us, causing Rudolph to hiss in pain. Without taking my eyes off the fan, I shoved him through the open window, into the dark room, quickly following behind. Shutting the little glass door, I allowed the velvet curtains to block any light from entering the room. This also means I couldn't see worth shit, and was probably totally screwed.

I could see his dark figure, darker than the rest of the room, as I slowly backed away towards my bed. As the back of my knees hit the soft blanket, I sat down quickly. Reaching over, I turned on my bedside lamp. It's bright light filled the room, causing both of us to flinch. It wasn't bright enough to hurt Rudolph, but it was bright enough to make him stumble back from the suddenness of it.

A ton questions filled my mind, a few battling my teeth to get out. Somehow, Rudolph seemed to sense this somehow, sitting down in the chair at my desk. All other thought fled my mind as the questions took over.

"What's it like being a vampire? How long have you been one? Are there others like you?" I fired off, not wanting to overwhelm him, but not wanting to forget anything. Rudolph chuckled, his face somewhat serious. I would have, I should have, felt guilty for being so nosey, but I then I wouldn't be Trinity if I did. Just the many complications of being me, I suppose.

"It's not as wondrous as one might think. We are constantly hunted, no matter where we go. We can never go out in the sunlight, never see the day in its' most natural setting. I was, originally, a vampire for three hundred years. Then, with the help of a mortal and friend, we found the amulet that would turn us into humans once more. However, something went wrong. The spell was only temporary, though we didn't know, and were transformed back into vampires, original clothing and all. Of course, the clothing was more fit to our newly developed forms, but it was still the same style, as you can see. And yes, there are others like myself. Many of us prefer to live in clans. Some, like my family, were all transformed into vampires together, so we stick together as well. Even my eldest brother, old enough to be on his own, is still with us. I'm sorry, this must be a lot to put on you. You must be very tired." Rudolph said quickly, as I lay my head on the bedpost.

"How could anyone be tired when there is a vampire in their room?" I said, shaking my head. However, a yawn soon betrayed me as it forced itself upon me. Rudolph smiled gently, standing.

"I must go. You mortals need your sleep." He said softly, walking over to my window. He had barley pulled the thick curtain aside when a bright light filled the room. Rudolph released it immediately, staggering back from the window as he rubbed his probably aching eyes. I chewed on my lower lip, thinking quickly.

"It'd probably be best if you stayed here. I have a feeling that creep is just waiting for you." I suggested, standing up from my bed. Rudolph hesitated for a moment, starring at the window wearily.

"Perhaps that would be best." Rudolph agreed, sounding somewhat defeated. I glanced around my room. He needed somewhere he would be well hidden, where the sun, and my family for that matter, wouldn't find him. I turned to my closet door.

"It's not much, but it's roomy and dark." I said, pulling open the door to the small walk in closet. I didn't exactly have a ton of clothes. Many of them easily fit onto one side of the closet, leaving a ton of space on the other. Rudolph appeared beside me, peering into the closet.

"It's perfect." He said in a somewhat awed tone. Turning those shining red eyes on me, he flashed a beautiful smile that seemed to punch me in the stomach. Weird, right? I blinked, looking back towards the closet before I did something stupid, like swooned or became too absorbed in those large round orbs.

"Thank you." Rudolph sounded so sincere and earnest. I could have hugged him. Honestly, that isn't really a weird thing for me. What can I say? I'm a hugger. However, I figured that would be just a tad awkward in this situation. I mean, really? Hugging the boy that's about to hide in your closet and hope that your family doesn't decide to sneak in and find him? Instead, I smiled, nodded, and stepped to the side so that he could get in. Gently, I shut the door on that beautiful face, wishing I could stare at it for a bit longer.

What am I doing? I sound like such a shallow teenager. Christ, you need to cut that out, Trinity! There's more than meets the eye, and you know that. I continued to chastise myself as I crawled into bed, turning off the lamp and settling in. I didn't know how I managed to fall asleep, but I did. What do you know? It's the night of miracles. What next? Rudolph is suddenly going to become my best friend and take me on all sorts of insane adventures? Sure, I'd love that. Is it likely? Of course not. What does this look like, Cinderella? Twilight? Welcome to reality, folks.

**A/N: I know, it's shorter than the last one. I'm sorry I can't write mini-novels all the time. I'm working on it, I promise. Maybe it's because it's the weekend, and my parents are rushing me on the computer, despite the fact that I want to get this done TODAY, no exceptions. I promise you, the next one will be so long, you'll probably want to kill me by the time you've finished reading it.**

**Also, I don't want to sound like it's the only reason I update, but I would love you forever if you left reviews. ^.^ I'll still update and write, but reviews make me all happy inside. I've gotten quite a bit of subscriptions to my story, and that is amazing, thank you! I love you guys. (:**

**I'm sorry if anyone got out of character. I'm trying my best with this. . Rudolph, in this story, is roughly about 16, so he probably shouldn't talk so sophisticated and all, but I that seems like a big thing with him. His maturity seems to be his biggest feature, no matter what age he is.**


	4. Dreams do come true

**Before I begin, I would like to extend a huge thank you to XxShelbyxKaulitzxX, who wrote a review last month that really inspired me to get started on this again. :3**

**I know that sounds odd that her review was last month and I'm only just posting this, but that's because it was sent to an old e-mail I hardly look at. XD**

**Now, I can't promise to be the queen of updating from now on, but I will try to do better. :3**

**I reread my last chapter so I could mentally catch up, and god did I cringe. XD I swear, I will try to make this chapter better and more interesting. XD No promises~**

* * *

How did I manage to get in this hole? God, that sounds so odd. But here I am, stuck in this deep, well-like hole with walls too smooth to climb. I tried. I have no idea how I got here, just that I've been stuck here for way too long.

As if out of nowhere, a dark figure appeared at the edge of the hole far above me. He had such a defined stance, with a long coat that flapped behind him dramatically. I could only just make out the dark half-wavy, half-curly hair circling his head. I couldn't make out a face, but I didn't need to. I knew who it was.

The first thought that came to my mind was, "When is this cheese fest going to be over?" This dream was so obvious and corny that it was making me sick. The relief I felt when my eyes fluttered open to be tortured by bright daylight was just unimaginable.

Too groggy to comprehend much of what was going on, I lazily watched my mom scurry away from the curtains she had clearly just thrown open. She was such a cute person, in my opinion. My mom was a short woman, with short black curls and blue-gray eyes. Her skin wasn't as pale as mine, and she had a pretty decent figure for a mom who had three kids, two being twins. She was one of those hippie, peace-loving, artistic moms that was all about freedom and free expression. Which, I have to admit, made life a hell of a lot easier on me. Oh, the shenanigans you can get into when your mom doesn't give a damn.

I unwillingly rolled out of bed, replaying last night's dream in my head. It sure was a wild one. And a long, gut-wrenching, realistic one. I won't lie; I kind of love those dreams.

I staggered over to my closet, running my fingers through my hair in an attempt to get it out of my face. When I opened that door, I swear I almost screamed.

At first, all I heard was a sharp hissing sound, and instantly thought there was a snake in my closet. Let me tell you right now, Trinity does NOT enjoy snakes at all. However, before I had the chance to slam my closet door shut, I got a good look at thing making the hissing sound.

"Sorry! Sorry!" I whispered, shutting the door quickly and leaning on it, feeling my body settle into a state of shock.

_So last night wasn't a dream. It was all real. He's real. Everything that happened last night was real. Well what do you know? I've got a monster in my closet. Take that dad! Okay, okay Trinity. What are you going to do now? You've got school in an hour and a vampire in your closet. This isn't one of those sappy vampire chick flicks. This is reality. What the fuck are you going to do?_

I took a deep breath, turning around to face the closet door. It would be simple. He's trapped inside with all my clothes. All I had to do was describe to him the outfit I needed and he could…I don't know…open the door a crack and toss them out as quickly as he can? Yeah, that sounded good.

"Trinity…dear…what are you doing?" My mother's voice inquired from behind. I nearly hit the ceiling considering how high I jumped. It was only then that I realized I had been thinking out loud, as I so often do when in the comfort of my own room, as is my right.

"Oh, the usual. Talking to the voices in my head. They're trying to decide between pizza and Chinese. What's up?" I attempted to act casual, leaning against my closet door in such an obvious, "I'm hiding something" way that I could just kiss my mom for deciding to ignore it.

"There was just a report on the news about your school. There was a gas leak overnight, so school's been canceled for the week so they can fix it." She said, smiling, knowing how thrilled I'd be with this news.

"Oh thank the gods above!" I sighed with relief. School wasn't exactly the most exciting highlight of my day.

"I have to take your brothers to the doctor, so please, try to stay out of trouble." My mom eyed me with an amused yet suspicious look. I smirked, holding my hands up as a sign of peace.

"I make no promises, mother dearest." I mocked, relaxing when she left the room chuckling. Well isn't this a lucky turn of events? School's been canceled for a week, my mom and brothers will be gone for probably most of the day, and I still have a vampire in my closet. Somebody must really love me up there. Either that, or they're about to turn my life into a comedy special.

I locked my bedroom door, ensuring that no one else would come barging in should I get lost in thought. I bounded across the room; dragging my curtains shut tight and making sure no sunlight entered my room. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I turned to the closet. With the way I acted, you'd half expect that opening that door was going to change my life. And sure, maybe it would. For about five minutes or so. Then the person behind it would change it, and the chain reaction would go on. Can we please just skip the dramatics? Okay, screw skipping the dramatics. I like being dramatic. If you hate all this dramatic stuff, or the word dramatic, you may have stumbled into the wrong story.

"Okay Rudolph, I think you're safe now." I opened the closet door, facing the tall, now upright, vampire before me. Somehow, he didn't look as handsome as I imagined. Maybe it's the new facial expression he was wearing. An emotion I don't remember seeing very clearly, this closely.

What was it exactly?

Oh yeah.

Hunger.

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**Okay, well here's the most boring, shitty chapter I've ever produced in my life. XD**

**Alright, that's a lie. But it was still awfully boring and shitty. XD**

**But I needed to make some kind of necessary transition. I didn't want to lose anyone. I promised the person this chapter is dedicated to that I would try to update tomorrow with plenty of actiony goodness. But until then, you'll just have to deal with this short, dull crappy chapter. Because I was trying to be considerate. You're welcome. xD**


	5. Everybody just wants a piece of me

**Well, here's that "action packed" chapter I promised. xD**

**I'm not going to lie. I love getting awesome reviews. They really motivate me to keep going. :3**  
**I've tried to make this chapter better and longer, without getting too OOC. So here goes nothing. XD**

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You know how in horror movies, when someone is too paralyzed to run right away, so they just back up slowly and manage to trip over NOTHING? Yeah, that didn't happen here. I still tripped, but I backed up so quickly my room became a blur around me and I ended up tripping over my rug and hitting my nightstand. Which fucking hurt, by the way.

I'm not going to lie; I was scared shitless at that moment. A hungry vampire was starring me down. Who wouldn't be? Oh yeah. Idiots.

I couldn't fathom why he was so ravenous right now, considering only about six hours ago he was munching on a cow. I guess all that sleeping in a closet really builds up an appetite. I can cross that off on my list of things to do while on a diet.

Before I could even blink, Rudolph was kneeling over me, his hands around my throat. I would have screamed if he hadn't been practically crushing my windpipe in his tight grip. My vision started to blur, tears rushing towards my eyes. I wasn't ready to die. Especially not like this. I looked into his eyes, desperate to know why it was taking him so long. Why he was torturing me like this. Past the hunger, I could see a silent battle warring within him. I honestly think a part of him didn't want to kill me. And that part, I was thankful for. I grasped around my nightstand, hoping to find something - anything - that could help me. My fingers found a thin chain, and I yanked at it, remembering it to be a necklace my grandmother had given me three years ago. It was a thin silver chain, with red and black rosary beads and a long, ornate cross dangling in the center. God, at that moment I was praying that all those myths I'd read about vampires were true.

I held the cross up in front of my face, which wasn't easy considering how close he was. Instantly I felt his grasp disappear as he nearly flew across the room, desperate to get away from the apparently deadly cross. He hissed in a way that sounded both angry and wounded, and beneath that sound I could here a faint sizzling, as though his skin were being burnt. Before I did too much damage, I held it behind my back, but stood in a way that warned him I was more than willing to take it back out if he tried anything. Because no matter what, you can never trust a hungry vampire.

"Okay Rudolph, here's what's going to happen; you are not going to eat me. I am a friend, not a meal. Let's just get that straight right now. I will escort you to the nearest farm. There, you can eat a cow, a sheep, a horse, or whatever. Just not me. If you attack me, I will not be afraid to use this cross. Understand?" I said, using every bit of courage I had left. You'd think I'd sound all heroic and cool, but I didn't. I didn't want to admit this, but there were a lot of stuttering, deep breaths, and shaking involved. Okay, yeah, I'm a little scaredy cat. Can be just shut up and get back to the story now?

He silently glared at me for a while but the threat seemed to register somewhere in his mind and her nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. For once, it didn't give me butterflies. Which I was kind of thankful for. Instead, it just made me feel like, any second, he's dash over and snap my neck. That didn't feel too pleasant either.

Careful not to turn my back on him, I opened my door and gestured him through, always keeping one hand tightly closed around the cross. Rudolph hesitated, narrowing his eyes at my fist as if daring me to open it. Reluctantly, he walked through the door ahead of me. I was almost tempted to grab a leash, or at least put some handcuffs on him. Either way, I think it'd be a little too erotic for the situation. Or maybe that's just my gutter mind at work.

I closed the door behind him, and had only taken a step when I slammed into him. God, aren't I observant? He was standing there, just barely in the shadows of the hallway. That's when I remembered it's still daylight outside, and quite a bit was shining into the hall.

"Shit. I forgot. I'm sorry. Okay, let me think…" I muttered, slapping my palm against my forehead. I paced back and forth, forgetting to not let him out of my sight. Then again, it didn't matter. The hallway had very little shadow space going on. Point one for the human.

"Okay, I got it! Wait here!" Pfft. Like he had much of a choice anyways. I dashed down the stairs, and swung around the banister to face the cupboard under the stairs. My mom always stored all the heavy blankets here. I grabbed a particularly long, thick one and ran up the stairs, not wanting to leave poor Rudolph there all by himself. God knows what he'd attack if he could.

Walking up towards him, I threw the blanket over him, ensuring that it covered…well…everything. He looked kind of funny, like a giant purple ghost. It was pretty damn hard not to laugh. I had a feeling that, if I did, he'd probably forget the cross and just kill me then and there. Still, it probably would have been worth it. Probably.

I grabbed his arm through the blanket, sliding my hand down until I was sure I had his wrist. Now, he'd have to be behind me, but I'd now have two advantages over him. I think that's worthy of five points to the human team. Man, I'm getting good at this game.

* * *

I closed the barn door behind us, enveloping us in darkness. Somewhere in the back of my mind, the smart part of my brain was slowly dying a horrible, painful death. But I still had my cross, and I was praying to whatever higher entity did or did not exist that it worked in the dark as well. At the same time, I trusted Rudolph to pick the cows over me. I mean, come on, they had more blood. I bet I don't even taste that good. Not that I'd ever want to test that theory. I leaned hard against the barn door, nearly pressing myself flat against the splintery wood. Stupid unpolished wood. But that's another battle for another time.

I listened carefully as the sound of his footsteps on the thick hay beneath us drifted off towards the back of the barn. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad he was choosing a cow over me. Under any other circumstance, I probably would have been insulted. I guess it's just hard to feel insulted because someone doesn't want to eat you.

Once again, the barn was full of a sick, disgusting slurping sound, followed by the low moo of a cow in pain, but too far in a trance to really understand. I wanted so much to escape from it, but I didn't want to risk opening the barn door and practically annihilating Rudolph. I guess I just kind of wanted to get used to it instead. Not that this would become a daily thing or anything, right? No, no. Of course not. What a silly thought. Silly silly Trinity.

I slid to a sitting position, which I almost instantly regretted. The barn smell hit me ten times harder when I was closer to the source of a great deal of the smell. I didn't even want to define it.

Suddenly, I heard this odd pounding, felt the floor rumbling slightly, for just a moment before the side of my head was over come by a sharp pain. Whatever hit me forced me over onto the ground with a painful thud, which was odd considering my head wasn't too far from the ground. Still, it was painful as hell. I felt a hot disgusting breath wash over my skin, and felt the presence of something huge standing over me. I was almost too scared to see who it was. Blinking through the stars, I willed myself to look up. At first, all I could make out were a pair of glowing red eyes not too far from my face. But then the shape came into focus, and I realized it had to be a cow. The figure was much too bulky and thick to be Rudolph.

And that's when it struck me. The cow Rudolph had yesterday never fully died. It became….a vampire cow? A vampcow? What a weird thought. Yet here it stood before me. I wasn't sure whether to scream, panic, or laugh. I mean, come on. A vampire cow? If you don't find that funny then you have no sense of humor. Or I have a childish sense of humor. Or both.

Suddenly, the cow was slammed into the barn door, as though something had attacked it from the side. Of course, something did. Rudolph. My hero. I felt a sense of immense relief. That is, after I got over the initial shock of the cows hoof nearly breaking my nose as he flew a whole two centimeters back. I'm just glad Rudolph didn't break the barn door. I'm pretty sure he was glad too, in his own, silent way.

Through the darkness, I could just make out the figure of the cow being tossed far back to the other side of the barn. Damn, vampires did have super strength. I guess this means wrestling a vampire wouldn't be such a good idea. Well damn.

Have you ever heard a cow get tortured? Well I hadn't, until that moment. God, let me tell you, it's one of the most awful things ever. I'd rather hear every bone in my body shatter than ever hear such a wretched cry. Yet, before I knew it, it was over.

"Wh-…what did you do to it?" I asked in a tone that was hardly above a whisper. I guess I just didn't have much energy to speak normally. It probably didn't help that it was freaking seven a.m. and I barely had three hours of sleep. But come on, who can sleep knowing you could be on some vampirific adventure? Freaks, that's who.

"I wish not to disturb you with such a discussion. Thank you for helping me. I'm…I'm sorry for what almost happened." Rudolph's voice sounded so forlorn, so distressed and sad. I had to muster up everything in me to keep from hugging him. Trust me; that was pretty hard. He helped me into a sitting position before taking a seat next to me. The silence between us was so thick it probably would have required a chain saw to cut through it. Talk about awkward. And I'll tell you guys right now, Trinity does not do well with awkward. Or normal. Or anything for that matter. But that's beside the point.

"So….Rudolph…what do we do now?" I asked, hoping to just break the silence. I would have done the chicken dance if it meant we could break this fucking silence. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I suppose we should return to your home so as not to get you in trouble. When the sun sets, I shall return to my home as well." Rudolph mused, his voice thoughtful, but as always, formal. You know, it's really hard to tell what someone's feeling when they sound so formal. Because really, it could be anything. He could hate my guts right now and I wouldn't even know it. Isn't that fun?

"Well, it's going to be a long walk back." I muttered, feeling my trade mark laziness kicking in. Adventure time was over, I guess. It was fun while it lasted.

"Trinity, have you forgotten already that I can _fly_?" Rudolph inquired, obvious mockery and amusement tainting his voice. I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"Rudolph, have you forgotten already that the _sun_ is out?" I mimicked. "Besides, anyone that would trust a vampire to fly whilst covered in a thick blanket has a serious death wish. No thanks. We're walking, Rudy boy." I teased, standing up and turning to him expectantly. He sighed and chuckled, getting to his feet as well.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Rudolph admitted.

"Suppose? Pfft, I know I'm right." I said with a false sense of arrogance, tossing the blanket over him. I let my face fall, letting out an almost inaudible sigh that he probably picked up on his radar ears anyways. We were going to return to my house so he could hide in my closet then disappear forever when the sun went down. And to think, ol' fangs here was starting to grow on me. I had to admit, Rudolph had more going for him that his devilish good looks. Though, at the rate he was going, I'd probably mark him down for some split personality disorder. Unless that's just a common trait with vampires. Psychiatrists could make a fortune off of them.

"Come on, Rudolph, let's go."

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**Well, that sucked. xD I tried to fill it with some actiony goodness, but I am just all tapped out today. xD**

**I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, at least. I mean, come on, who doesn't love angry vampire cows and hungry vampires? Sadly, I can't seem to regain Trinity's old sass back, but I think I've toned down on the fangirling-over-Rudolph's-appearance thing quite a bit, which is good. xD**

**If you've ignored some of my past author notes, or have forgotten what this older Rudolph is supposed to look like, I've updated the link on my profile to one I think is better. **

**I'm going to try to come out with more chapters soon, but I make no promises. School is starting soon, and it's my junior year, so it's going to be pretty busy. I have less than two weeks, and still haven't even touched the two projects I was supposed to be working on. Yay for procrastination. xD**

**So, I suppose this is the part where you leave me some more lovely reviews right? :D**

**Or hateful ones. Whatever. xD**


	6. Thinking can be painful as hell

**Okay so right now, I am in this insane writing mood. I just feel so inspired to write, and I figured I'd take it out on here, so at least I could say I've been a good updater. xD**

**This peice is probably going to be relatively boring and uninteresting, because it's just going to be a small bit. Mostly Trinity rambling while Rudolph sleeps the day away in her closet. So yeah, not a lot of action. Probably more gush than necessary, but hey, she's a sixteen year old girl. She needs some time to gush. xD**

**So here it is, just a short little piece from the jumbled mind of Trinity.**

**Enjoy~**

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Have you ever laid on your bed and starred lifelessly at the ceiling, pondering things you wouldn't normally ponder? I usually try to refrain from doing that, because I just get in this weird state of non-being. I begin to question my existence, as well as others and other things. All my emotions end up turning into this jumbled mess and it's just an overall non-fun feeling. I wouldn't recommend it.

So here I was on a Monday afternoon, laying on my bed, pondering stuff. Though, surprisingly enough, it was stuff worth pondering. Rudolph and I had trudged across the long plains that separated the nearest farm from my house. It was a pretty long walk, considering we both had to be very careful about not stepping on the blanket he was hiding under. By the time I got home I was so exhausted I actually considered asking Rudolph to carry me up the stairs. But that would have been lazy, and the house was still full of sunlight. Half the time I don't trust myself to walk down stairs. So why the hell would I trust a vampire who can't see to carry me up them?

During the long walk, Rudolph spent a lot of time telling me about his past. Mostly because I spent a lot of time asking about it. He told me how his family had been vampires, hunted by humans for 300 years. How he had met this little kid named Tony who helped his family become humans again. And then, how the effect only lasted a few years, until not long after his 16th birthday, before they awoke to find themselves vampires again. And then, how Rockery's - the man who had, for so long, hunted them - son took over and began hunting the newly turned clan. It was actually incredibly interesting. It took so much effort to not overload the poor guy with questions. I hadn't realized how much he'd been through. I was kind of glad Rudolph couldn't see my face, because I'm pretty sure it looked sad as hell. Because that's what the story pretty much was; sad. And there didn't seem to be any hope.

I just wish I could help them. I wish there was something I could do. But after tonight, it won't even matter. He'll disappear from my life permanently. And no one will believe he was ever there. Just thinking about that caused a pain too severe for words ripple through my chest. It was as if someone had broken my entire rib cage, grabbed onto my heart, and was just squeezing it as tightly as they could. I almost couldn't breathe. And don't try to sit there and tell me I'm in love. I already know that's a load of bullshit. Love doesn't just happen like that. This isn't Romeo and Juliet or Twilight or any other sappy love story that involves no real love. If anything, it's a crush. A strong crush. And it'll probably just die, like all crushes do. And Rudolph will just be a distant memory in the back of my mind.

How depressing.

I rolled over, starring at my closed closet door. At the clock that hung not too far from it, ticking down the minutes before he left. Time clearly loathed me with a passion, because already the sun was beginning to set, and the time read seven p.m. Well you know what, time? Screw you. Just screw you. You suck. I hate you. Go die. Go become irrelevant. I don't care. You want to know why? Because you suck. So there.

I rolled back over, starring up at the ceiling and willing myself not to cry. God, when did I become so emotional? Rudolph's just some guy. Some vampire guy. Some vampire guy with amazing clothes, good looks, a voice that pierces my heart, and a back story that broke it. Yup, he was just a guy. Come and gone. That's what he'll be. I'll get over it. I'll get over him.

Right?

I hoisted myself off my bed, walking almost unwillingly to the window. I drew aside the curtains and watched the last of the rays of sun dye down, shrinking away from my dimly lit room. So I guess this was it. The final goodbye was drawing ever near. Is it bad that I didn't want to let it go? That I just wanted to lock him in my closet and tell him it was still only 1 p.m.? Damn, if that didn't sound creepy, nothing does.

As the sky finally surrendered to the deep blue twilight, I let my curtains fall closed and turned to face the closet door. I could feel my throat begin to close up, but I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing, sinking heart. Funny how those two things suck alone, but when put together, they end up sucking times five.

"Okay Rudolph. The sun has set. It's time." I murmured, half hoping that he didn't hear me. Of course, it was a wasted wish.

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**So there you are. A short chapter on the ramblings of Trinity. xD**

**If you actually read through the entire chapter, kudos to you. I'm amazed anyone could get through it. You must have been bored to tears. xD**

**I'll try my best to update later on, though I make no promises. But as long as I keep getting such positive results, I can almost guarantee there will be some drive there to just keep going. Because I mean, come on, who doesn't like some recognition? :D**

**I was checking my states earlier, and remembered that the day before, I would only get about 2 or 3 hits on this story. I checked it earlier and had over 100 hits, so that was really inspiring. :D I mean, it might not mean much to some people, but to me, that's pretty fucking awesome! xD  
**

**I hope at least someone enjoyed this chapter. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, as well as others, so don't be afraid to leave me a review or, hell, even a message. :D**


	7. Scary Farewells

**A/N: So, it's been brought to my attention that it's been 2 years since I've updated this story! Buuuttt, since people seemed to want it continued to badly, I figured I could spare some time to write another chapter. And by some time of course I mean I stayed up all night trying to get this right. Unfortunately, much of that time was spent re-reading and analyzing my past chapters, and cringing. **

**Fun fact: I was in 9th grade when I started this story. I'm now about to start my freshman year of college. And I'm engaged! Time flies, eh?**

**Well, I hope this was enough to satisfy some needs, and maybe earn me a few more reviews to kick my butt into gear. xD **

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The closet door cracked open, and through the thin slit I could see a red eye glowing curiously in the dark. It was almost as if he believed I'd truly let him walk out into sunlight. I smiled faintly and gently pried the door open so that he could step out. Rudolph moved forward so timidly a part of me wanted to believe he didn't truly want to believe. Yet once he must of realized that, yes, the sun had set, his movements became a lot more confident. He strolled across the room and tossed open the curtains covering the balcony doors.

For ages he stood there starring at the rising moon. I knew I probably should have said something but I felt frozen in place, my right hand still gripping the edge of the closet door. I could only guess the thoughts going through his mind. Returning home to his family to endure the next several hundred years hiding from the sun and scavenging for food that wouldn't turn around and hunt them in return. At last Rudolph turned, as though he had forgotten I was there. His expression was utterly blank. I searched desperately for even a hint of a smile or some form of emotion. Yet there was nothing but complete formality as he crossed the room towards me. His hand stretched towards mine, his eyes never leaving my face. I extended my own hand in slight bewilderment, assuming I was going to shake the cold dead hand of a vampire. Instead I felt a large, rectangular piece of plastic being pressed into the palm of my hand. Breaking the eye contact I had maintained with Rudolph, I found my old Nintendo DS resting in my hand.

"I…may have borrowed it while I was inside of your closet." Rudolph said somewhat timidly, as if he expected me to lash out for infiltrating my personal belongings. Yet there was a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth. I broke out into a grin, almost chuckling as I handed it back to him.

"Keep it. I can't imagine how boring it must be, living in a cave all the time." I hurried to my closet and began digging through all the old games I hadn't play in years and shoved them into his hands. I showed Rudolph how to put them in the slot to play the games and pointed out the games that would take only the buttons to play.

"Oh….but the battery is dying." Rudolph pointed out as I went to turn off the DS. I hadn't even noticed, and as he said this a thought occurred to me. If he did truly live in a cave, then he wouldn't have electricity, much less a power outlet to charge the DS. Inwardly, I wanted to burst with glee at the idea that this presented an opportunity to see Rudolph again. Outwardly, however, I allowed only the slightest of smiles onto my face.

"Well, you can return anytime to charge it." Though I tried to keep my voice nonchalant, I feared he could see right through me. My heart pounded as the seconds ticked by. When I looked up at his face, he was grinning widely as though the offer brought him immense joy.

And then, he hugged me. His embrace was so cold and tight I considered that maybe I'd somehow died instead. I couldn't breathe, yet I somehow doubted it had much to do with his grip and more to do with the fact that my heart had basically stopped functioning. Despite Rudolph's cold skin, a deep warmth blossomed inside, spreading across my skin in what I was sure would develop into a furious blush. Tentatively, I raised my own arms to encircle him. Of course, just as I was about to truly hug him back, he released me just slightly. Rudolph held me at arms length, holding on to my shoulders as he smiled warmly at me.

"You are a truly wonderful friend. I would be delighted to return." Rudolph began stuffing the games into his pockets. He hugged me once more before strolling happily to the balcony. Throwing open the doors, I felt the chilly night air wash over me and my warmth disappeared. Rudolph turned to me and imparted a final smile and a wave.

"Farewell, Trinity." He said, though already his voice sounded far away as he took off into the night. I suppose this would be the moment where I run in dramatically to the balcony, bracing myself just before toppling over the edge, but leaning far enough over that a decent wind could kill me, as I stretched a single hand to my fading love. I'd whisper his name as my hair whipped in the wind. Once retracting my hand, I'd whisper my love to him in a great monologue and a single tear would roll down my face as my confession went unnoticed. I'd also probably be wearing a long flowy dress.

Instead, I was wearing paint splattered jeans and a t-shirt for some summer camp I attended two years ago. I slowly shut my balcony doors, silently praying that for some reason Rudolph would suddenly reappear requesting to stay another night as he took me out for an adventure. Yet the doors clicked shut, the curtains were drawn, clothes were changed, and not a single vampire showed up at my window. Though the sun had only just set, I already felt absolutely exhausted. If anything was certain, it was that I would see Rudolph again. With that knowledge safely tucked into every single corner of my brain, I snuggled into bed and drifted off into a restless sleep.

* * *

It was dark and yet terribly bright. I stood, barefoot in my pajamas, in the center of a wet cement road, and yet I felt no cold. Beeps and clanks filled the air and a steady breeze lifted my hair from my back and shoulders. In front of me stood a tall, somewhat slender figure. A halo of curls erupted around the head, and a long coat billowed dramatically in the same breeze that ruffled my hair. It felt almost as if he were protecting me from the light, but it felt so wrong. Then it hit me. The hissing and sizzling. The smell of burning, rotted flesh. _Rudolph_.

I ran forward, and yet the faster I ran the farther I seemed to get from him. The light was burning him. Killing him. He was no longer hissing but shrieking as the light boiled his skin. Rudolph's pained yells pierced my heart and made the very blood in my veins run cold. Tears streamed down my face as I reached desperately for him, wanting to throw myself over him to shield Rudolph from the light.

"Please stop!" I begged the light, but not a single sound left my lips. No matter how loud I screamed there were only Rudolph's pained yells and the sizzling of his flesh. Everything felt hopeless and I wanted to collapse. To curl up into a ball and block it all out. It was too hard, too painful, too real.

Then he appeared. His hair was long and black, stretching in an uneven length past his shoulders. Thick black circles ringed his bloodshot eyes and a wicked grin stretched across his pale, gaunt face. His laughter rose above all else and rang in my ears. The sound was so evil, so malicious, it was almost painful. My skin crawled at the sound of it and a vicious hatred burned through me. Somehow I knew. I knew he was the man behind Rudolph's suffering. He sought to hurt him, to kill him. Suddenly, I wanted to hurt this man. I wanted to feel his scrawny neck in my hands. I wanted to hurt him like he was hurting Rudolph. Yet suddenly, my body tightened with fear. I wanted to shriek, to scream. I couldn't understand what was causing this sudden burst of terror. All I knew was that I wanted to run from him, from it, from whatever it was. I knew I couldn't leave Rudolph behind, but my instinct to flea was so strong I could feel my muscles trembling.

This man, this evil vile man, laughed harder. From behind his back, he pulled a wooden cross sharpened at one end to serve as a spike. Suddenly, my horror was justified. I knew exactly what was coming, and the knowledge that I was unable to stop it drove me to my knees. I cried, begging him to stop, to take me instead.

And just like that, he drove the spike straight through Rudolph's heart.

* * *

I woke up screaming. The house was dark and I was screaming and couldn't stop. I could practically still see the light. Still feel the mirrored pain I felt as the spike was plunged into Rudolph's heart. I could feel the too real tears gushing down my cheeks. The screaming was quickly replaced by heavy sobbing. I knew it was only a dream but it felt real enough to be true. Lights flicked on in the hall outside my room and suddenly the door burst open, flooding the room with light. I let out a barely audible yelp, fearing what was on the other side of this horrific light that now tormented my dreams. But it was only my mom, looking both drowsy and alarmed. Without a word she rushed across the room and enveloped me in her warm embrace, stroking my hair and shushing softly to calm me.

After several minutes, when my sobs had calmed into occasional hiccups and fewer tears, we looked each other in the eyes. I didn't have to say a word to communicate the severity of my nightmare, and I knew she would never make me relive it just to satisfy her curiosity. Mom pulled me into her arms once more and proceeded to stroke my hair while I let my tears run free until there were no more.

"It'll all be alright." Mom assured me softly. The way my dreams had been taking to reality lately, I wasn't so sure. I stole a glance at my balcony window, and my heart skipped a beat. Silently, I prayed that where ever he was, Rudolph was alright.

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**A/N: Soooo, I may have toned down Trinity a bit. Or a lot. I'm sorry, but she too much reflected a "tough girl smart ass" phase I went through my freshman year. I'm trying to make her a LITTLE more ambiguous, but still unique enough to matter. I'm sorry if you liked the way she was before. I'll try to keep her essence alive. xD**


	8. Nightmares come to life

**A/N: I actually wrote this immediately after posting the last chapter but waited until today so that I could sort of pace myself. I also had every intention of writing throughout the week to maybe get a few chapters ahead, but evidently that was never going to happen. xD**

**So I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It was fun to write. ^^**

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Days had passed since I said goodbye to Rudolph and had that terrible nightmare. School had reopened - the gas leak turned out to be a prank that resulted in several students being expelled. I almost never slept, leaving me very tired and antisocial during school. Obviously, I made no friends. Luckily, I also avoided making any enemies. People just couldn't be bothered with a new girl that wouldn't try. What fun was there in what was virtually a willing victim? I didn't mind. The solitude was nice, and spared enough energy to get me home and through the day. Yet once night set in, my body was on high alert. A part of me spent much of the night listening, hoping Rudolph would return. The other part remained coiled, ready to attack or flea should the evil man from my dreams appear in my reality. If it could happen with a vampire, why should this guy be any less real?

Surprisingly, my appetite remained intact. It's pretty easy to stay awake all night if you're able to stomach coffee, energy drinks, and cheesy snacks. The sun set, and I set myself up in bed with a steaming cup of coffee and a small bag of cheetos. I never dared turn on the television or radio, fearing that I'd somehow miss the sound of someone's arrival, should anyone bother to show up. This night was no different.

Okay, actually it ended up being vastly different.

There was a loud bang on my balcony door that startled me so much I nearly fell of the bed. Thank god I had enough common sense to keep my coffee and cheetos on my night stand when not in immediate use. My heart started pounding at the idea that on the other side of that window could be the vampire I was so desperate to see. Yet apart of me feared it could be something, or someone, much worse.

The bang was followed by a series of tentative knockings. I crept towards the doors and peaked through the curtains. My heart soar and I fought back the grin that threatened to engulf my entire face. I had a reputation of calm, collected coolness to uphold and damn it an attractive vampire would not stand in the way of that. I threw back the curtains and opened the doors with a dramatic flare, all the while only a hint of a smile. Clearly I had not lost sleep over waiting for him. Obviously the deep bags under my eyes would tell a different story, but I could pretend, couldn't I?

Despite my glee, Rudolph only stood there with a solemn expression on his face. He made no attempt to enter, and there wasn't a DS in sight. My joy faded away and was soon replaced by worry. Something was clearly bothering him, and unfortunately, it apparently had something to do with me.

"Rudolph, what's wrong?" I asked hesitantly. Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure I wanted an answer, and I could tell by the sad look on his face that he didn't really want to tell me either. Yet, slowly, he stepped forward and extended a hand towards me.

"Come with me, Trinity. There is something I must show you. We must hurry though, for time is not kind to us tonight." Rudolph was so serious it almost scared me. Okay, it did scare me, but I tried not to let it show. I figured that maybe, if I put on a brave face, things would seem a lot better than they probably were. I took his hand and braced myself for the uplifting, stomach-dropping feeling that accompanied flying with Rudolph. Instead, he turned and ran for the edge of the balcony, bracing one foot on the ledge before propelling himself off the ledge, all the while dragging me quickly behind him. If all of my organs hadn't gathered in my throat, I probably would have screamed. As Rudolph too to the air, he gathered me in a tight embrace. There was nothing affectionate about this, though. It was pure protection as we speed hastily through the air, much faster than I had grown accustomed to. Rudolph wasn't kidding when he said we were in a hurry. Almost as quickly as we had left, Rudolph was landing us gently on the ground. We were in the center of an empty road, surrounded by fields that turned into hills far off in the distance. In front of us was the black van we'd seen much too often, all of it's lights off and not a sudden coming from it.

"He's been temporarily diverted. We must hurry." Rudolph whispered, eyes locked on the vehicle. Moving swiftly, he opened the back doors of the van and leaped inside. He turned and lent a hand to help me inside. I closed the doors behind me and turned around to face the cramped interior.

"Oh my god." I gasped. On every square inch of the inside of the van were pictures of five people. They looked young and happy. And related. One person from the five looked increasingly familiar.

"These are all pictures of my family, after we turned human. After his father died, he never stopped following us. He never believed we had truly become human, and thus stalked us until the day we changed back. Ever since that fateful night, he has hunted us. And now," Rudolph explained, gesturing grimly to a far corner of the van, "he has included you in his hunt." On the wall were pictures of me, at school, outside my home, inside stores. I looked so unassuming. My gut twisted violently and my breathing hitched. I was being hunted. I gazed around the van in horror. Metal boxes lined the inside of the van. I could only imagine the weapons they held, but didn't dare open them for fear that somehow, something in there could hurt Rudolph. The imagine of the cross from my dreams, the way it scorched Rudolph's skin, burned in the back of my mind. I felt such a strong need to protect him.

"No." I heard Rudolph whisper in the darkness of the van. He was completely still, and that single word let off more fear than I cared to imagine. Suddenly, everything was a blur of motion. The doors on the back of the van flew open. I slender silhouette stood before us, gripping the doors and letting out an enraged and yet triumphant yell. He dove into the van tackling me to the ground. It was much too dark to see his face but a chill ran through me as I felt the strong sense of familiarity. The man crawled greedily over me, his boney knees and shoes digging into my stomach and thighs. Soon he passed and in the cramped space made another leap, this time at Rudolph. I scrambled to a standing position just as Rudolph shoved the man into the side of the van, a painful thwack echoing as his back hit one of the metal boxes. Rudolph wrapped his arms around my waist and hoisted us out and up into the air.

We flew for what felt like ages before finally landing outside of my home. Rudolph released me and immediately began pacing back and forth across a small patch of lawn, teeth clenched on a single thumb nail. I knew he was thinking, analyzing, but I was far too curious to let him think in peace.

"Who WAS that?" My voice was shrill with pent up panic that I hadn't had the chance to release back in the van. Rudolph didn't even hesitate in his pacing, much less look at me. He did, however, let out a very agitated sigh as he ran his fingers erratically through his hair.

"That was Alexander, son of Rookery. Rookery was the man who hunted my family when we were vampires before. He died having failed to destroy us, and ever since Alexander has blamed my family for his death. Even as humans he stalked us, but with no intent to kill. He was sure that one day we would turn back into vampires, and when the moment would come, he intended to kill us all to avenge his father." In my mind I wanted to imagine what this man, Rookery, would have been like, but all I got was blanks. I couldn't imagine anyone so devoted towards the extinction of any fantasy creature. And while Alexander's quest seemed noble in it's own respect, I felt like maybe a solid girlfriend would clear the bats going wild in his head.

"So….why did he have pictures of me?" I asked, almost afraid of what the answer might be. If he was so intent on killing Rudolph and his family, he might have plans to do the same with me. I know I haven't really done much with my life, but I don't think I'm really ready for death right now.

"He must think you are very close to my family. Perhaps even a vampire yourself not yet turned. He's seen us together, and that's enough for him. As far as he sees it, you're as much responsible for his father's death as I am." Rudolph's voice was so full of anger and sorrow. I could feel the pain in his heart, knowing that he'd endangered yet another friend. But I also knew what was coming.

"I guess you're going to say that I can never see you again." If I was any other kind of girl, I probably would have choked up at the prospect. Don't get me wrong, I liked Rudolph. Quite a bit actually. But crying wasn't going to fix the matter, or convince him that I could possibly be capable of handling myself fine against any madman.

"If that is what you wish." At last, Rudolph stopped his pacing. The moonlight shone dimly on his face, highlighting the sorrow as he starred woefully at the ground. "That may be the only way to keep you safe, and if that is so then that is what we must do." Rudolph lifted his head and grasped my hands in his, an adorably determined look on his face.

"I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise." He raised one of my hands to his lips, gently kissing my knuckles. He felt so cold to the touch, but I was deeply flattered by the gesture anyways.

"Thanks, but I think I can handle it. Hell, maybe I could help you defeat this guy." I suggested, courage blooming in my chest. I'm awfully brave in the face of romance, aren't I? What a hero. Heroine. Whatever.

"No. I would never put you in harms way." Rudolph insisted, though if felt less like a command and more like a plea. Which is a good thing, because I don't take orders very well.

"You're not, I am. I know we can do this. Please, let me help." I removed my hands from Rudolph's so that I could in turn clasp them myself, taking the dominant roll here. I looked deep into his eyes, silently pleading. Deep within me I knew that no matter his answer I'd fight to help him, but it did seem like things would go a lot more smoothly if I had the help of a powerful vampire. Rudolph didn't seem to comforted by the idea. His face scrunched up in a contemplating, yet very unwilling, look. At last he sighed, resigned to the silent knowledge that nothing he could say would stop me.

"Very well. Tomorrow night I shall take you to my parents. It is important that you know your allies. Until tomorrow." And with that, he imparted one final kiss on my hand and took off into the night. I held my hand close to my chest, heart pounding until I could no longer see him. I turned to head into the house, knowing that, perhaps, I may be just exhausted enough to be able to fall asleep. Of course, sleep was the furthest from my mind right now.

Tomorrow night, I meet Rudolph's parents.

Isn't that usually a third or fourth date kind of thing?

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A/N: Ooo~ Meeting the in-laws.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I promise I'll try to have one up and posted by next week! I appreciate all reviews. They help remind me to write more. xD


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